APPS THAT COULD HELP YOU:

(Left- 'Calm' Right- 'SAM')

Out of the thousands of apps that are available, these two are my favourites. Calm (which you will see later on) was co-created by Michael Acton Smith who is also the founder of Moshi Monsters. He felt stressed at work and with his business and wanted a meditation space, thus created 'Calm'. This app you will find visually pleasing as you can customise the background of the screen to suit your mood eg, rain or a sunset etc. Within the app, which is free, you can choose from guided meditations or freestyle meditations. SAM was developed in collaboration with the University of the West of England helping you manage and monitor your anxiety. You can rate how you are feeling for the day and write down any notes which will be saved almost as a journal for you to look back on. Additionally, if you are experiencing anxiety there and then, the app has little games and pictures which you can use to relax you. Having used this app when anxiety has struck, I can honestly say it does work by distracting you from your thoughts.

BOOKS THAT COULD HELP YOU:

Practical Mindfulness is a self-help book that guides you and informs you through everyday life issues and how to deal with them in a mindful way. This book was excellent during my A-levels as it teaches you techniques for revising and exams. Additionally, the book helps with interviews and those with children, catering for everyone.

The Mindfulness Bible on the other hand whilst guiding you again through life's trials and tribulations, it is written in a more complex manner and probably would not be best for beginners. However, those who are perhaps more experienced with mindfulness will find this book interesting as it teaches you about the history and origins of mindfulness and how to incorporate even the earliest teachings into your life.

As aforementioned, the founders of Calm then created a book which is perfect for beginners or those who are less interested in the concept of mindfulness and just want to feel a bit more relaxed. Like the app, the book is visually pleasing with most pages containing beautiful pictures and inspiring quotes. Also, you will find activities to do such as colouring in (more on that later) and gratitude tests.

MINDFUL COLOURING:

If you are not wanting to spend money on what essentially is a colouring book, then look no further than... google images. Yes, I am serious. You can find free mindful colouring templates to print off online, rather than paying £10 for a book. I am basically the female version of Martin Lewis! :)

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I hope this post has helped you in some way to either start or continue your mindfulness journey.